Plumber Boolean Search String
A first-pass boolean search for sourcing plumber candidates, built from the role's most-screened-for skills — adapt it with your own must-haves, or generate one tailored to your exact JD below.
"Plumber" AND "Pipe installation/repair" AND "Blueprint reading" AND "Code compliance" NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern"site:linkedin.com/in/ "Plumber" "Pipe installation/repair" "Blueprint reading" "Code compliance"Run this search on Google →How this string is built
The role title in quotes, ANDed with the top must-have skills for a plumber — Pipe installation/repair, Blueprint reading, Code compliance — each in quotes so LinkedIn and Google match the exact phrase rather than any word in it separately. NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern" filters out the two most common sources of false positives.
Other must-have skills worth adding
If the search above returns too many results, AND in more of these to narrow further:
- Fixture installation
- Diagnostic troubleshooting
- Journeyman/Master license
- Backflow certification
- Commercial plumbing experience
Other titles to search for a plumber
The same job is also called Plumbing Technician, Journeyman Plumber, Service Plumber, Pipe Fitter. Searching only for “Plumber” misses those people, so join the titles with OR inside brackets and AND the skills after them.
Five searches to run, from broad to narrow
- Broad: every title, one core skill
("Plumber" OR "Plumbing Technician" OR "Journeyman Plumber" OR "Service Plumber" OR "Pipe Fitter") AND "Pipe installation/repair" - Focused: three skills, with the noise removed
("Plumber" OR "Plumbing Technician" OR "Journeyman Plumber") AND "Pipe installation/repair" AND "Blueprint reading" AND "Code compliance" NOT "plumbing engineer" NOT "apprentice" NOT "sales" - Tools and credentials: the nice-to-haves as an OR group
("Plumber" OR "Plumbing Technician" OR "Journeyman Plumber") AND ("Journeyman/Master license" OR "Backflow certification" OR "Commercial plumbing experience") - Google X-ray on LinkedIn profiles
site:linkedin.com/in/ ("Plumber" OR "Plumbing Technician" OR "Journeyman Plumber") "Pipe installation/repair" "Blueprint reading" - Feeder role: people from a neighbouring job
"Apprentice Plumber" AND "Pipe installation/repair" AND "Blueprint reading"
Start with the broad search to see how large the pool is. If it is too big, move to the focused one. If it is too small, drop a skill or use the feeder search.
Noise to exclude for this role
For a plumber the usual false positives are plumbing engineer, apprentice, sales. Each one added with NOT removes a group of profiles that look similar but are not the job.
Where else to look
Good plumber candidates often come from Apprentice Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC Technician. Search for them with the same core skills, then check that they are ready to move.
What to check on the profile
Licence level, the type of work and customer feedback.
Credentials to confirm
The plumbing licence or trade qualification required where you hire, and any gas certification for gas work.
Frequently asked questions
Why AND the skills together instead of OR?
AND narrows to candidates who show evidence of every listed skill — good for a first-pass search on a specific role. If that returns too few results, dropping to OR between the least-critical skills (keeping the must-haves ANDed) widens the pool without losing precision on what actually matters.
Why exclude "recruiter" and "intern"?
Those two terms are the most common source of false positives in a plumber search — recruiters and internship-seekers whose profiles happen to mention the same skill keywords. Adjust or remove the exclusion if it's cutting out candidates you actually want (e.g. if you're specifically hiring for an internship).
How is this different from the full Boolean Search Generator tool?
This is a static starting-point example built from plumber's most common requirements. The tool builds a tailored version from your actual job description — different seniority, location, and specific must-haves than this generic example.
What other job titles should I search for a plumber?
The same job is also called Plumbing Technician, Journeyman Plumber, Service Plumber, Pipe Fitter. Put them in a bracketed OR group so one search covers them all, for example ("Plumber" OR "Plumbing Technician" OR "Journeyman Plumber").
What should I exclude when sourcing a plumber?
The usual noise is plumbing engineer, apprentice, sales. Add each with NOT so the results are people who do the job, not people near it.
Where else can I find plumber candidates?
Look at people in related roles who already have the core skills: Apprentice Plumber, Pipefitter, HVAC Technician. Search for them with the same skills and check whether they are ready to move across.
Hiring a plumber? The rest of the toolkit
- How to write the job description →
Titles, must-haves, credentials and a starting posting.
- Interview questions to ask →
Role-specific questions and what a good answer contains.
- Run the whole hire in one place →
Jobs, CV review, interviews, offers and checks together.